March 1996
Precious brothers and sisters,
BILL CLINTON IS NOT THE PROBLEM. BOB DOLE IS NOT THE SOLUTION.
Those of you who have been reading along with us in the one year Bible Reading Plan have recently run across a familiar story in Numbers 22-25. A prophet named Balaam chose to run after money rather than harken to the voice of God. God's anger was aroused but Balaam did not know it. God used a donkey to speak to Balaam saying that if he continued on his way he would surely be destroyed. The donkey was a "sign" from God that the prophet was proceeding on a foolish path.
Balaam's response to the donkey was to beat him. He blamed the donkey for fouling his plans, when it was really the donkey who saved his life. Let's make this biblical principle come alive for us today.
Bill Clinton is not our problem. He is simply the "donkey" God is using to rebuke His church. Bill Clinton is a sign that our heavenly Father is far from pleased with His people. The salt has lost its saltiness and is being trampled under the feet of men. We are losing our children as a result.
If it is true that our problem is not with Bill Clinton but with Almighty God Himself there is only one solution and Bob Dole is not it. The one hope we have is to turn back to God through Jesus Christ and repent (2 Chron 7:14). There is one institution ordained by God to come against the enemy He has allowed to savage our land and that is His living church.
He is looking for those who will unashamedly and unequivocally run to the battle in the Name of JESUS. Mr. Politician, if you are ashamed of this Name (specific five letter word) we will not vote for you. We are not looking for a place at the table where we can negotiate with the enemy for our Lord's precious children. We are looking to kick the table over and proclaim that "JESUS IS LORD" and push the enemy back into the pit from whence he came. This is our birthright. We will not flinch in the day of adversity.
Republican Party: SELLING A BIRTHRIGHT FOR A MESS OF POTTAGE
One's birthright, according to Webster's 1828 Dictionary,"...is an estate descended by law to an heir." The Republican Party today is an heir to the estate handed to it by those who would no longer tolerate the evil institution of slavery in this nation. By in large, it was made up of former Whigs, Free-Soiler's, and know-nothings who revered God and had a biblical worldview. These folks broke away from the conciliatory (big tent) attitude of the Whig Party toward slavery and joined themselves together to represent the heart of God. Its second Presidential nominee was elected President of the United States of America in 1860. The rest is history.
The Republican Party of our day has forgotten its rich heritage and is in the process of selling its birthright for a mess of pottage. This party covets office more than principle. It has repeatedly abandoned its pro-life plank to get candidates it considers "electable". It does not even blush over its feigned love for God and real love for money. The "Contract With America" is all about money. It has nothing to do with the cultural and moral upheaval that is savaging our nation, destroying our families, and murdering our children.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Mt. 6:24)
There can be no question that the Republican Party has learned to despise God and devote itself to conservative fiscal policies. It has chosen pragmatism over principle. JESUS is simply too controversial and too intolerant in this day of coalition building and pluralism. "United we stand and divided we fall" is the mantra parroted by party polls. Just listen to the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, William Bennett, Ralph Reed, Bob Dole, et al.
"We must do everything we can to get Bill Clinton out of office." they exhort, "Even if we have to hold our nose and vote for someone who does not stand where God stands, we must remove the evil Mr. Clinton. After-all we are Republicans."
Party unity is the "god" to be served. Bob Dole continues to remind us of Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of thy fellow Republicans." If it entails bending a few biblical principles here and there we must nevertheless remain true to the party and support Mr. Dole. We must unite to get the "enemy" Bill Clinton out of office.
BILL CLINTON IS NOT THE ENEMY -- BILL CLINTON IS GOD'S MAN!
"Therefore the Lord was angry with His people...He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power." Ps 196:40-42
Demonizing Bill and Hillary Clinton only makes us less able to hear what God is saying. We become victims of Bill and Hillary rather than sinners in need of a Savior. The enemy is very good at getting us to remove God's accusing finger from ourselves and helping us point it at someone else. There is no opportunity for repentance here.
Bill Clinton is not the enemy brothers and sisters. We are! That's right. Bill Clinton is a sign from Almighty God that the salt has lost its saltiness. We have to stop braying at and beating the donkey God has sent to rebuke us. God is using Mr. Clinton to turn us back to Himself. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
The spirit of murder is savaging our nation. Preborn children are being slaughtered. The number one killer of born children is their parents. Kids are killing kids. Children are killing their parents. Random acts of murder and drive by shootings are common place. Suicide has risen off the graph. The enemy of God's children is killing the old and slaughtering the young. He is having his way and VIOLENCE is sweeping over our land. Indeed, VIOLENCE is sweeping over our world.
ABORTION IS THE TIP OF THE FIREY DART PIERCING THE HEART OF AMERICA
God has given us an issue (a sign) that enables us to know who is for Him and who is against Him. It is child killing. If I know where you stand on this issue, I know where you stand with God and where you stand on every other issue. Abortion is the tip of the fiery dart that is piercing the heart of our nation because abortion is really about who is Lord. It is about whose laws reign. Is it "my" kingdom come or Thy kingdom come? Is it "my" will be done or Thy will be done?
Is it any wonder then that the apparent Presidential Nominee of the Republican Party is doing everything he can to distance himself from "THE ISSUE"? "THE ISSUE" is divisive. "THE ISSUE" will ruin party unity. "THE ISSUE" will give us another four years of Bill Clinton. What could be worse than that?
Bob Dole said, in his "Meet the Press" interview on Sunday, March 3rd that "...abortion isn't the only issue in this primary so let's move on."
Sure Senator, let's just skip over the single most important issue facing our nation today. You want to pass it by because it reveals what you really believe. It is our Lord's plumb line. It is God's X-ray into ones heart. God has given us a measuring stick called abortion (child killing) so that there will be no doubt as to where one stands with Him.
Senator Dole, Rush, Bill, Ralph, you are engaging in a battle that is far bigger than you know and dealing with an adversary far more shrewd and merciless than you can imagine. It is a battle that began in heaven, moved to the Garden, and is presently ravaging our world today. It is a battle between two seeds, two kingdoms (Gen 3:15). You will never be able to negotiate at the table of this enemy without suffering severe harm.
The only thing you can do is fight him straight up in the Name of Jesus! Otherwise he will continue to vent his fury on our children, our nation and our world. Unfortunately, this is not political pragmatism.
Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition are busying themselves covering up and apologizing for the cowardice and foolish statements made by Bob Dole concerning preborn children. They are preparing the way to support Bob Dole in the presidential election. They are selling their birthright for a mess of pottage. Ralph desires compromise for the sake of coalition and unity. He wants to "cast a larger net" (sounds a lot like Lee Atwater's Big Tent) to ensure a place at the negotiating table.
William Bennett sees things much the same way and is turning cartwheels for a pro-abortion retired General named Powell. Rather than unapologetically standing where God stands on "THE ISSUE", Mr. Bennett believes he can outwit the enemy by using his means. He is wrong. God is more concerned with the means we use than the ends we achieve. He is selling his birthright for a mess of pottage.
Rush Limbaugh reminds us of the absolute necessity of removing Clinton regardless of the ungodly liaisons and the bending of biblical principles. Unity at all costs to expel the demon Clinton from office. He is selling his birthright for a mess of pottage.
Political pragmatism is not God's way. He is not pragmatic, He is God. He desires a people who will unapologetically speak to the dry bones so that they may live. This may seem humanly impossible but with God all things are possible.
Winston Churchill said it best when he confronted Neville Chamberlain concerning his foolish attempts to appease Adolf Hitler: "You had a choice between shame and war. You chose shame and you will have war." There is no negotiating or compromising with this enemy. One must fight him!
In choosing Bob Dole as its Presidential Nominee, the Republican Party is choosing appeasement in the hopes that it will not have to fight the war. It is shamefully selling its birthright for a mess of pottage. In order to obtain political office it has abandoned the foundational truths which brought it into existence in the first place. What is worse, the Church of Jesus Christ has become a willing partner in this abandonment.
The enemy we fight cannot be appeased. He hates God and he hates those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. As long as he can keep Jesus out of the equation he can continue to rob, kill and destroy. He wins when God's people are silent.
We believe that Jesus is the Standard by which all other things are to be measured. Where He stands, we want to stand. What He does, we want to do. It is our desire to represent Him and Him alone. It is the Name of Jesus we will carry into battle and He himself will crush the head of the enemy.
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deut. 4:29
In Christian love,
Flip
UPCOMING EVENTS:
HOLY WEEK PASSION FOR LIFE: April 1-6, 1996, Chicago, Illinois. Join us as the Word of God becomes flesh in the streets of Chicago. Please call the Communication Center at (708) 355-3210 to make arrangements to be picked up from the airport (before you fly into town). If you fly into O'Hare, please take the free shuttle to Midway.
REGIONAL EVENTS: Minneapolis/St. Paul, March 1-4; Dayton, Ohio, March 7-10; Buffalo, New York, March 21-25; Cleveland, OH, May 9-12
JESUS IS THE STANDARD: August 9-18, 1996, San Diego, California, Republican National Convention. Rescue leaders from across the nation will be lifting up our Lord Jesus Christ as the Standard for America.